


My Next Life As A Wizard

by Psyga315



Category: Kamen Rider Wizard, 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… - 山口悟 | My Next Life as a Villainess - Yamaguchi Satoru (Light Novels), 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… | My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kamen Rider Wizard Fusion, Gen, Has 0.5 Chapters, Magic School, Monsters, Reincarnation, Sharing a Body, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psyga315/pseuds/Psyga315
Summary: Wilhelm Yates is the grandson of a famed wizard named Fredrick von Schwartz. As such, the pressure of filling in his shoes at the Magic Academy has never been higher.To make matters worse, he moonlights as a ringed magician that fights monsters unknown to society called Phantoms. As memories of a past life come to his head, Wilhelm Yates finds that he has a person inside his mind who has his own purposes.With the Phantoms growing in strength and life at the Magic Academy becoming much more hectic than Wilhelm had in mind, he must work with this other person to navigate through life and fight the Phantoms, all while determining what caused Catarina to act so nicely in contrast to who she was in Fortune Lover.
Relationships: Sophia Ascart/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. PLEASE! Restore My Memories!

I could remember everything… The sunset, the falling leaves, me standing in front of the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, and the vow that she would not be alone.

And yet… I can't remember her face… To me, it was simply blank… I remembered the words…

" _I promise you! You'll never be lonely again! I'll be your friend._ "

And yet, I can't even remember her name…

After that… it all became a blur…

**CRACK**

No… A blur is too tame to describe what I felt… What I seen…

It started with time halting… Then, the girl's blank face began to crack like fragile glass. Inside the cracks were a dark, purple glow…

**BA-PUMP**

I was the only one in motion, though only because my heart began to cease up and force me onto my knees. My own body would begin to crack as well. As the world around me began to crack away, there was one thing I remembered vividly…

It was the monster that would appear.

"A Gate that's currently despairing in his own Underworld while he's already falling into despair outside of it? That's truly…" It almost looked like a large, humanoid fish that had decayed to the bone, leaving behind a husk in a suit of armor. Its head was the skull of a fish whose jaw gaped open, its one eye, nothing more than a glowing red orb, was right at the back of its throat. " ** _Exciting!_** " He held a large halberd as he stalked towards me…

"N-no! No! NO!" I tried to scream, but I was unable to shout it from my body, just my thoughts. At the same time, I saw a black hand come out of my waist, destroying part of my now fragile body. I screamed.

* * *

"Wilhelm! Wake up!" I felt my body shake as my eyes forced open. I felt myself in a cold sweat, unable to breathe properly. The only thing that could calm me was what was right in front of me.

A woman with pale skin, hair white as snow and eyes red as rubies. To say she just needs a pair of rabbit ears to be some human bunny would almost tempt me to pet her head nonstop.

"You were having a nightmare…" As I came to, I recognized the woman before me: Sophia Ascart, daughter of the prime minister and my fiancé. "Are you okay?" Her voice was just as soft as her hair.

"Y-yeah… Just… that dream again." Sometimes I wondered if it _was_ something that happened in my past or if it was simply a dream all along. I stretched my arms, then felt my waist just to be safe… Thankfully, there was no gaping purple hole. Instead, I felt the outlines of my belt buckle.

"It's over now, so take it easy, okay?" My senses returned to me as I felt the bumpy movement of the carriage. There was a third person in the carriage with us: Sophia's brother, Nicol. He eyed my belt buckle. "Pardon me for asking, but are you going to be wearing that belt to the party?" He asked.

"It _is_ a little spooky…" Sophia noted the rather grim appearance, a golden skeletal hand acting as the main buckle that kept the belt together.

"My apologies… It's… important to me." I regained my composure before making an attempt to hide it underneath the dress shirt I wore.

"Not as important as this party is… It's going to be your first-time meeting Catarina, on her birthday no less. First impressions are everything." Nicol said. Catarina… Daughter to the Claes family. Nicol and Sophia said nothing but good things about her…

Yet for some reason, her name fills me with dread. A strange, familiar dread…

* * *

The event was just the same as others I've attended with the Ascarts. A large ball, with dancing and food involved. However, the focus was obviously on Catarina, admittedly a beautiful woman in her own right. Sophia and Nicol had been friends with her since childhood, speaking nothing but praise for her.

I eyed her movements as she danced with several people, including Nicol himself. For whatever reason, there was an odd sensation at the back of my head, a sort of unease that I felt.

"Pardon me, I don't believe we've met." I turned to see a gentleman with blonde hair with a white and golden suit. Of all the people who danced with Catarina, he was the one who was most personal with her, even giving her a kiss on the neck.

"You must be Geordo Stuart." One of the princes of the kingdom. "If I assume correct, you are Catarina's betrothed?"

"Precisely, and, if _I_ assume correct, you're Wilhelm Yates, grandson to the Wiseman." It was a nickname given to my grandfather, Fredrick von Schwartz, as he managed to master all four elements. No one managed to know how he did it and the only thing that suggests on how he did it relied on gibberish regarding good and evil being tied in a cross of fire.

"Yes, I am. I know I have rather large shoes to fill." It was a common thing for people to do, expecting me to excel where my grandfather succeeded at.

"Well, that's not what I wanted to say at all. I just want to know you, since we'll be going to the Magic Academy soon." Geordo said.

"Right, that's a thing. It's funny how some of the most important children in this kingdom are going to attend the same school." I said.

"Indeed. Though, it might be fate." Geordo said.

"Hmm… I'm not a staunch believer of fate." I noticed Catarina had finished dancing with Nicol. Giving a sigh, I moved forward.

"Not you too…" Geordo muttered as I approached her.

"Lady Claes, allow me to share a small dance." I said to her. She looked at me strangely… I guess some people _don't_ know who I am. "Wilhelm Yates, son of Lichtbert Yates." I went through the motions of slow dancing with her, remembering the moves I made during my dances with Sophia. "I believe you may have heard of me through my fiancé, Sophia."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember… Wait, _what_!?" Her eyes kinda went wide. I wasn't sure if I said something wrong or not, but I seemed to have sent her into some cold sweat. She seemed to be deep in thought about what I had just said, though I'm not sure what words weighed her down. Perhaps she had heard of my father's name and the time he was declared a savior. Or maybe she finally put two and two together and knew me as the Wiseman's grandson.

"Apologies, my lady, I know not what has gotten you so flustered." As I said that, I saw her reflection in the window… And then, as though in a flash, I thought I could see a different side of Catarina. A sadistic glare, a psychotic smirk, an overall confident stance…

I saw her tower over a woman in a pink dress with several other girls by her side, bullying and teasing her… I remembered the feelings of sympathy and anger, as though I personally bore witness to these events… And yet… this _was_ my first time seeing her, right? Looking at her now, she seemed more like an airheaded ditz with stunning looks than someone who would torture a defenseless girl.

" _Isn't she supposed to be a bitch?_ " I could hear my inner thoughts… No… They sound different. It was younger, the speech was more informal, and it didn't _feel_ like my voice at all… And then…

The tingling in the back of my head became almost like a migraine. I knew what _this_ feeling was.

"Well, I bid you adieu. Best wishes to you for the new year, Lady Claes." I smirked, then turned to the exit.

"Huh? Wilhelm, where are you going?" Sophia noticed me and asked.

"Just going out for some air. I'll be right back." I said…

Though, I doubt it'd be a short while.

* * *

I took some time to run, but eventually, I felt my head clear of all pain as I saw a person fly and fall by my feet. I turned my attention to the person who threw him… No…

The _monster_ that threw him.

It was a large monster with a single eye holding a large club. It wore green armor on its chest, yet left none for the arms and legs.

"Let the fear of death drive you to despair!" The monster said to the would-be victim. He then looked at me. "Who are _you_?" He asked.

"You should _know_ who I am…" Without even _thinking_ , I pulled out a ring and held it over the skeletal belt.

**DRIVER ON! Please~!**

The belt glowed and transformed into a bulkier, silver belt, the hand now fleshed out into the outline of a hand.

"Y-you're… The Ringed Magician!" Like clockwork.

"Get going, I'll take care of this." I said to the person. He nodded and ran off as I switched the lever on my belt, flipping the hand to the left-hand side.

**SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO HENSHIN! SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO HENSHIN!**

"You know how this goes, so just take it like a good boy. _Henshin_." A weird, foreign word that I was directed to say. I took out a ruby ring before flicking what appeared to be glasses over on it. I placed it on my left ring finger, holding it over the belt.

**FLAME! Please~! HI… HI… HI HI HIIIIII!**

I held my hand out as a fiery red portal engulfed me, adorning me in black wizard robes with ruby plated armor on my chest. I had a helmet as well, the front being made from rubies also. Despite this, I could see the monster clearly.

"I will be… your last despair." I pulled out a silver sword with a clasped black hand on it before I ran towards the cyclops monster. I clashed weapons with him, though it was obvious that his strength was more than mine. He pushed me back as I pulled out a ring and scanned it on the belt.

**BIG! Please~!**

A magical portal appeared before me as I poked my sword through it. On the other side was a larger version of the sword's tip, piercing through the monster's armor and knocking him down.

"You're a lot stronger than the _last_ Phantom I fought, I'll give you that." I said to him… Phantoms… While it was appropriate to all this Cyclops a mythological creature, the name Phantom stuck with me. I used another ring, though this time, I opened the hand on the sword and shook hands with it.

**COPY! Please~!**

A second portal appeared as I pulled out another sword. I quickly changed it into a gun before firing at him. I kept on firing as I slowly advanced towards him. Once I reached him, I slashed apart his armor.

"That said, I'm afraid I must cut this fight short. I'm supposed to be at a party." I aimed point blank at the Cyclops's bare chest before firing. He fell down and struggled to get up.

"You… really _are_ as strong as they say…" He said.

"You're not the first person to say that about my power… And you will not be the last." I dropped my weapons, the copy disappearing before it hit the ground. There will be no finale for you." I took out one final ring before scanning it into the Driver.

**NICE CHOICE! Kick Strike! THE BEST!**

I gave the Phantom a back hand, my ring causing more pain to his face than what I would normally inflict before I did a back flip. I extended my leg and flew towards the Phantom, kicking him right in the chest before using his body to spring back into the air and land on my feet, my back turned to him.

"Your mana's… _truly_ immaculate!" The Phantom breathed his last as his body, covered in a magic circle, suddenly exploded from the kick.

"Fin…" I sighed in relief.

* * *

**My Next Life as a Wizard**

**Stage 1: PLEASE! Restore My Memories!**

* * *

A man stood over a tall building, having watched the demise of Cyclops. As the smoke cleared, he shook his head.

"Cyclops… What a dumbass…" He muttered before he turned to see two monsters before him. The first was a large, avian human with golden feathers on his arms and a crimson cowl just above a toothy smile while the second was the shortest of the three, had a pink plastic-like dress that stayed stiff, a pink helmet and a porcelain, smiling mask underneath. "To what do I owe you two?" He asked.

"You witnessed the death of your fellow Phantom and did nothing to stop it." The bird monster said.

"It's his fault for causing a ruckus. His attempt to create a Phantom is laughable. No manipulation, no skill, he just expected that injuring that person to near-death would cause them to despair." The man said.

"Well, it's still not nice of you to just let Cyclops die…" The fairy monster added.

"His death won't be in vain. I was able to see what the Ringed Magician is capable of… and from how I see it…" He smirked as a dark aura filled his body before he transformed into a bluish gray armored bat monster with a mosquito's face. "He's just another wizard… Let me take care of him." He said.

"Fine… But take some Ghouls with you." The bird monster handed the man some small stones with golden cracks on them. "Don't fail us, Jabberwock."

"I promise you, Garuda, Sprite, the Ringed Magician will become an old wife's tale when I'm done with him." Jabberwock chuckled.

* * *

"It's been an hour since you left! You had us worried!" I had to explain to Sophia and Nicol of my absence. Though, I had to lie.

"Sorry, I got lost on the way back here." I gave a light chuckle before I patted Sophia on the head. "Don't worry, though. I'm here, now."

"Please don't go running off like that again." Nicol was always a hard person to read the facial emotions of. I couldn't tell if that was a request or a demand, yet his smile seemed to make it simply coy.

"I promise!" Had my fingers crossed. "Now, shall we enjoy the rest of the night?" I noticed that most people were already heading out of the house. "Ah…" I bowed to Sophia. "Apologies, Lord and Lady Ascart. I didn't mean to be that long gone."

"You don't need to address us as that, remember." Nicol said.

"You two have been hospitable to me. That earns the respect and titles of Lord and Lady." I said before I heard the whinny of a horse. I turned to see a man with dirty blonde hair wearing simple commoner clothes, though without a cut on his shirt or pants. "Though, I believe father wishes to bring me home." I did another bow as I approached Lichtbert, my father.

"I'll be borrowing him for a bit. You'll see him again at the school." My father said before he galloped off.

* * *

By the time we got back from Catarina's house, it was close to midnight. Despite this, I wasn't going to bed just yet.

"Alright, let's take it from the top." I was in the backyard with my father, both of us holding wooden swords. He ran at me before I blocked his strike with my sword. He swung again and I countered his strike with my own. We did a few more swings, each meeting at the exact same time. We countered blow for blow for about a minute or so. However, as I swung overhead, he thrust his sword forward, tip right at my neck.

"And _that_ is the fifth time you've died tonight." My father put away his sword. "If your opponent was less experienced, you wouldn't have to practice the later stages of combat. On the battlefield, though, it's almost guaranteed that you'll fight at least one skilled swordsman."

"Was it this easy for _you_ to learn this?" I asked my father.

"I wish that was the case." He chuckled. "I had to learn my craft at an Military Academy. I was at the same level as you are right now by the end of my first year. Of course, the only amount of training I got was the occasional routing out of bandits."

"So… When _did_ you learn the more advanced stuff?" As I asked that, he stood silent, as though lost in thought at something.

"When I met your mother." The topic of my mother, Selene von Schwartz, was a sour one with my dad. He never wanted to give the details, though. All he said was that, at some point when I was in my early teens, my mom and dad split up, with dad taking custody of me. "I never _did_ tell you that story, did I?"

"No, this is the first time, I'm afraid." He sat down, as did I. We looked up at the stars above.

"Your mother was assigned to explore a dungeon that, unbeknownst to the Magic Academy, was converted into a den of bandits. My class was assigned to flush the bandits out. We encountered each other during the scuffle and… It was love at first sight." He gave a sigh and frowned before he picked up a blade of grass.

"What was she like? It's… been too long." I asked him.

"Your mother was a brave person who was always honorable. I'd argue that you get your gentlemanly behaviours from her. If I was the most skilled swordsman in my class, then your mother would be the most skilled magician in _hers_." Dad said.

"Do… do you regret leaving her?" I asked.

"… No. She chose her path, I chose mine. The only respect I gave to her decision is your engagement to Sophia, though, that's _your_ decision if you want to keep it." He said.

"A-and I do… Sophia's a very nice girl and her beauty knows no bounds…" I said.

"It's funny. Your mother chose her _because_ of her looks. At first, I thought it was just a joke, since she and Sophia look almost identical. Though, when she gave her reasons for it…" My dad dropped the blade of grass and sighed.

"What… Why did she want me to be with Sophia? Is it bad?" I asked him.

"No, no, just… she was very superstitious. She said that Sophia had potential inside her, though that's just the rumors of how she's cursed." I knew all too well what he meant. It was perhaps the worst thing Nicol can hear about his sister. "I think the pressures of her father's achievements were weighing on her and she wanted to be just like him."

"… With me going to this Magic Academy… would… _I_ get that pressure too?" I asked him. He shook his head. After looking to the starry sky, he smiled.

"Promise me something, okay?" He asked.

"Okay." I said.

"When you get to school, don't worry about being like your grandfather or even _me_. Forge your own path ahead…" He reached into a small belt he had before pulling out a small dagger. "I was going to give this to you when I'd drop you off at the school, but I feel like now's the best time."

"It looks… wonderful!" I said. The hilt was gray, as was the blade, though the handle was covered in a dyed blue leather.

"It's a prop they use in plays." He demonstrates this by pushing the blade into its hilt. "I doubt they'd allow real weapons at the school grounds, but it's the next best thing. Your mother… she was a lot of things… But when I met her, she encouraged me to push myself to be the swordsman I am today. And all it took was four words. As you hold this dagger, I want you to remember those words: cut your own path."

"… I will. Thanks, father." I hugged him before putting the dagger away.

"Now, let's get some sleep." He smiled.

* * *

I stared up at the ceiling in my room, thinking about what my father said. I had lingering doubts in my head when I was told I had to enroll in a school for nobles to learn magic, made worse by my father saying how my mother was driven to reach the same heights as my grandfather.

There wasn't much I remembered about my childhood, though the one truth that lingered was something my parents fought about: my inability to use magic.

Before I was given the belt and the magic rings, I was unable to create even a small bump in the earth. As the grandchild of the Wiseman, this was, obviously, concerning. Some blamed my father for dirtying a potent bloodline while others think my mother was at fault for giving birth to me in the unnatural manner of being cut out of her.

Whatever the case, I felt as though I was cast out as… imperfect. Even _now_ , I need jewelry and a belt to use magic, proof that I'm crippled in the area I was expected to excel at. The nobles assume that I just choose _not_ to use magic, but the truth will soon be found out… I thought about how Nicol and Sophia would react… And then… I thought of Catarina.

The image of her bullying the woman lingered in my head. What if that attitude she showed at her party was just a façade and that, the moment she finds out about me, I'd be like that poor girl… I closed my eyes, though it only made me think about the image even more… As though I had seen it before…

She had one of her people try to throw a fireball at the victim… And… I felt like I knew that defenseless woman before…

" _I promise you! You'll never be lonely again! I'll be your friend._ "

My eyes opened wide as I remembered the nightmare I had. The face of the person I was talking to was blank. At first, I thought it was just a dream… but now that I imagined Catarina's bullying, I was able to imagine the face.

A scared, frightened girl, with blue eyes that shimmered with tears. Those eyes complimented her fluffy and short blonde hair…

And it was a perfect fit for the person I spoke to…

"That… wasn't a dream?" I began to think more about the girl. As though they were puzzle pieces, my mind began to imagine different pictures. Each of them involved her embracing another man… Among the four, I saw two of them and recognized them clearly: Nicol Ascart and Geordo Stuart. … But… Wait… Do they _know_ her? Enough for her to hug them?

Suddenly, I found myself humming a tune. It took a while for me to piece it with an image, but I imagined a small sequence of the girl in a sparkly field, bordered by pink flowers. She was doing slow dances with each of those four people, Nicol and Geordo included. It ended with the flowers bursting as I could see two words in pink font with a golden underline: **FORTUNE LOVER**.

… Fortune Lover…

That was a favorite of mine…

… Wait…

What's Fortune Lover?

I sat up and clutched my head as more images flooded in. I now remembered looking at these words on some sort of open clam… I winced in pain as I felt a flurry of emotions. Euphoria, love, humor, fear, and… perhaps the largest of it all…

Sadness.

But… Why _am_ I feeling sad? From what I remembered of these images, it seemed like I was seeing something _good_.

" _find them…_ " I heard something. I looked around to see where the voice came from…

Nothing…

No…

That voice…

It was the same one that called Catarina a bitch!

"Who are you?" I asked it.

" _Please… Find them…_ "

"Find what?" I asked it some more… That's when I noticed something outside my window. I was unable to see what it was, since it blended well into the night. At first, I thought it was a bat… But…

**SMASH!**

The humanoid bat-mosquito monster smashed into my room and knocked me off my bed.

"At last, we meet… Ringed Magician!" Jabberwock said to me.

"A… Phantom!" I should have realized from the tingling at the back of my head that it was warning me of a Phantom nearby. I struggled to keep its hands far away from my neck as possible. My door slammed open as I saw my father impale a shining silver sword right into the monster's shoulder. I knocked it off of me as I got up. "Dad!"

"They've come for us… Just as I feared… Wilhelm, pack your stuff, we're leaving!" My father brandished his sword as the Jabberwock Phantom chortled.

"No… You will stay here and _die_ for your son's despair!" The Phantom sprinkled several stones to the ground before they spun around and, like clay, formed into miniature humanoids before growing to be human-sized, the clay now hardened to be stone. They carried spears and went for my father. I blocked several of them with my sword before I put a ring on my belt.

**CONNECT! Please~!**

I put my hand in the magic portal and pulled out the sword I use when I transform into the Ringed Magician. With both swords in hand, I slashed through these golem-like creatures. As the last of them fell and crumbled to dust, Jabberwock just laughed.

"Good, you took out the appetizer. Now… the main course!" He said. I turned to see more Ghouls enter through the door. My father pushed them out and did a much easier job, taking out three with a single slash. It didn't take long for him to notice more Ghouls.

"We're surrounded! Wilhelm! Remember your training!" My dad said.

"Got it!" I held my swords and readied to face the Phantom.

" _Transform…_ "

The voice called to me. It felt… familiar this time… I recalled the times I fought these Phantoms… While I put my father's training to the test, there were several things he didn't train me in, especially my tendency to execute the kick strike, complete with the exact same style of a diving kick.

All those times… they were careful nudges telling me what to do.

"… Father, forgive me, but… I need to use my magic." I pulled out the ruby ring with glasses.

**DRIVER ON! Please~!**

"You don't need my permission right now. Just do it!" My father said.

**SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO-**

"Henshin!" I scanned the ring.

**FLAME! Please~! HI… HI… HI HI HIIIII!**

Just as Jabberwock was about to strike me, I used the magic circle to block the attack and cover me in the armor. I closed my eyes and let the motions take over.

"I'll be… your last despair." I said to the Phantom. As I began to fight him with my sword, I remembered myself battling other Phantoms… Phantoms I have never seen before in my life… Phantoms that seemed to be much stronger than the ones I've faced. And yet, all these too… it was similar to Fortune Lover… I saw it all unfold on that clam. And yet, it went with a different name. "No… I am… Kamen Rider Wizard."

"Remember, son! Don't gloat!" My father said as he cut down another three Ghouls.

"Sorry! I… just thought of the name!" I held Jabberwock down with my sword. I threw the monster up and gave him a few more lashes across the chest. His body wasn't well armored like the other Phantoms. His navy shell had a soft white underbelly that made it ripe for cutting through. As Jabberwock landed on the ground, I tried to finish it off by opening the clasped hand and shaking it with the Flame Ring.

**FLAME! SLASH STRIKE! HI HI HI!**

My blade lit itself on fire as I swung at Jabberwock. It flew out the window, causing the flame blade to instead hit the wall, explode and set the entire wall on fire…

"CRAP!" I shouted and ran to my dad who cut down the remaining Ghouls on the second floor. He turned to see the fire catching from my room to out in the hall.

"Well, this isn't what I had in mind when I was thinking to torch this place and run." My father didn't seem too pissed off, instead taking me and running down the stairs, striking down whatever Ghoul got in his way. The flames extended downwards to the main hall, spreading throughout the hallway. My dad suddenly set me down as he heard some footsteps. He turned his blade to someone coming from the burning kitchen.

He only tightened his grip as he saw a knight in dull, gray armor. The helmet they wore was hardly akin to traditional knight helmets. Instead of small slits to act as a visor, the helmet instead had three wide, drilled in holes with tiny cavities inside, presumably for the person's vision. The knight's torso armor was traditional plate mail, but the leg armor was blue scale mail armor and steel boots. It wore a tattered navy cape and held two swords.

"We meet again…" My father muttered, then looked at me. "Run."

"W-what?!" I asked him.

"GO! NOW!" He shouted at me. I ran off into the front yard where I noticed several civilians had gathered to see what was happening, now that the house of Lichtbert Yates was now on fire.

"T-that's the Ringed Magician everyone's talking about!" "He must have set Lichtbert's house on fire!" "Aaah! Monsters!" The last one grabbed my attention as I saw Jabberwock swoop in and grab a civilian, who ended up screaming for mercy. I glared before taking out an emerald ring and scanning it on the belt.

**HURRICANE! Please~! FU FU! FU FU, FU FU!**

I leaped through a green magic circle as my red armor changed into a green armor. Wind began to swirl beneath my feet, levitating me towards the sky as several people looked at me.

"Wait! Wasn't he using fire magic!? How can he also use wind magic too!?" "What _is_ that thing!?" "It's not human! It's not human!" I could hear people shouting as I noticed several things were being thrown at my general direction. I dodged a few of the objects, though at the speed I was going and the height I was at, they wouldn't have been able to hit me with even their lightest of projectiles. I took this to my advantage and used the wind to pick up a rather medium sized rock that was thrown at me.

I flung it right at the Jabberwock. It didn't hurt, as I had expected from non-magical weapons on these Phantoms, but the light tap it made caused him to notice me and had him drop the civilian. I flew down, trying to reach the civilian before he hit the ground. I managed to grab him and, gently descending down, I left him on the ground securely on his feet.

"You're safe now." I said… only to immediately get shoved.

"Get away from me, monster!" He shouted before running off. Before the rest of the civilians could get to me, I flew back up and pursued Jabberwock.

I quickly changed my sword into a gun and fired upon Jabberwock. The bullets I fired were now covered in with green currents of wind, flying faster than even arrows could fly. That said, he seemed to be faster, as he flew away from the bullets. The bullets that _did_ hit only scratched his armor. I growled before I scanned another Ring.

**CONNECT! Please~!**

I flung my hand forward as a magic circle appeared in front of Jabberwock, who flew right into it. On top of me, just a couple dozen feet up, was a second magic circle that appeared above me. I aimed my gun at the circle as Jabberwock flew out of the portal and right towards me.

"W-what the?!" He was confused and distracted… Right where I wanted him!

**COME ON, A SHOOTING! SHAKE HANDS! COME ON, A SHOOTING! SHAKE HANDS!**

"There's no finale for you!" I shouted as I shook the hand on the gun with the hand that held the Hurricane ring.

**HURRICANE! SHOOTING STRIKE! FU FU FU!**

I fired several fast wind bullets at Jabberwock that pierced right through his underbelly. After about a dozen or so holes, I could hear his death cry as he exploded. With the Phantom gone, I flew to the ground and landed… Though, I soon saw the crowd of people approach me, shouting things like "monster" or "demon". I sighed… I needed to get back to my father.

I flipped the hands once more, activating the belt to use magic once more.

**LUPACHI MAGIC! TOUCH TO GO! LUPACHI MAGIC! TOUCH TO GO!**

First, to get the crowd away, I used one ring.

**FALL! Please~!**

A magic circle appeared beneath the path that the civilians were about to step on before it suddenly vanished, leaving about a foot and a half dug in, causing the civilians to fall into the hole. I then took another ring and activated that as well…

**CLEAR! Please~!**

I then vanished, at least to the crowd's eye. In reality, my body became see-through and colorless, almost like glass without being fragile. I took this chance to run back to the burning house…

* * *

It took me five minutes and when I got there, the house had basically been destroyed. In its embers was my father, still battling the knight, though he was clearly gasping for breath while the knight still had momentum left.

"Dad!" I shouted before switching forms.

**LAND! Please~! DODODO DODODON, DON DODODON!**

I changed into a citrine-colored form and changed my weapon back into a sword. As the name of this form implied, I was able to block what would have been a fatal blow to my father with the strength of the earth.

"So… This is the Ringed Magician… You've blossomed quite nicely since we last met." The knight said. I was confused at the knight's wording. Did they know me before? I never saw them in my life.

"Who are you!? Why are you attacking us!?" I asked. The knight chuckled… Then glared at my father.

"You hadn't told your son, did you?" The voice coming from the helmet was hard to distinguish, having the same sort of muffling that the Phantoms and I have when _we_ speak.

"I told him enough!" He said.

"Including what Selene did?" That question gave him pause, though I didn't stop, taking the blow for him. I was able to tank it, though, as I slashed at the knight's armor, trying to, at the very least, destroy part of it. Yet, I could do nothing… The knight knocked me down, out of my magical robes and jewel-plated armor. "Let's open the boy up…" The knight went over and thrusted their blade into my father's chest.

"DAD!" I shouted.

**BA-PUMP!**

My heart ceased up again as I felt a ticklish pain on my left arm. I looked at my hand and noticed the purple cracks from my nightmare began to form on my forearm.

"Enjoy the despair while you can… I know your Phantom will…" The knight then walked away into the smoke. I crawled to my father, the pain now becoming more akin to a fractured bone.

"Dad…" I muttered as I saw the blood. I went through a small satchel on my left-hand side that carried my magic rings to see if I had any that could heal.

" _There's no Ring that could heal… The closest one doesn't even belong to you…_ " I heard the voice in my head.

"No… Please… There has to be!" I muttered.

"Wilhelm…" My father grabbed my hand as blood began to seep from his mouth. "You need to go…" He winced. "They'll come after you… and make you one of them…" I knew he meant the Phantoms… Their method was to drive people to their lowest point and, in the process, cause Inner Phantoms to be born and eventually destroy their host. "There's a sage named Sanzo… Find him… He…. He'll know what to do…"

"W-where will I find him?" I asked.

"You'll… Urg… You'll know… Wilhelm… Please… Live a good life… That's… your last hope…" My father shook and then… he was still. His eyes stared upwards, his blood stilled, and his chest no longer rose.

"… Dad…" I shook him, trying my hardest to get him up, to no avail. I screamed, both in anguish and in pain as my whole arm had become cracked. Several civilians came over to see what the noise was about… Then saw me cradling my father's corpse.

"No…" "It can't be…" "That Ringed bastard… He murdered him!" I drowned out their cries. My cracked arm was hidden beneath my father as I continued to sob. I soon heard a similar sob…

The voice in my head also sobbed… At first, I thought it was simply sharing my sympathy and crying for my father as well, but then, I had another image… This time, it wasn't something I saw from a clam… But rather, it was a village like the one I was in… except, there was more stones being used as the foundation instead of wood.

I didn't know what, but I knew his pain, the reason he was crying, was _not_ for my father… The sound of my crying became softened as I heard a person speak. It wasn't the same voice I heard.

" _This is the tragedy for those who weren't chosen._ " I saw an image of a man, maybe even a young adult, offering his hand. I could see my own hand reaching for his as he said some words that I couldn't hear. Then… I saw a flash of light.

* * *

I was back in my nightmare. Though, the skeletal monster was no longer there. I noticed myself… Or at least, someone who I _thought_ was myself. Instead, he had reddish brown hair and wore a simple white dress shirt and pants. There were purple cracks on both of us. Around us were also purple cracks, but there were also a few large, reddish cuts that had cracks breaking out of it.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

"I…" He coughed as the cracks on his body grew.

"Save your energy. A Phantom could come out at any time." I warned. He took his time before speaking up.

"My name is Saito Azuma. I… I guess you can call me your conscience." He chuckled.

"Conscience… You mean _you're_ the voice in my head?" I asked.

"Yeah… I'm the one that instructed you on how to fight those Phantoms. I have been aware of you for a while, Wilhelm Yates. And it seems you've become aware of me when you remembered Fortune Lover and Kamen Rider Wizard." He said.

"Huh? How do you know my name? Or that I thought of those!? How do you know of these Phantoms?" I asked him. He got up as we moved across the grassy hill. I turned to see the woman, her face nothing but a purple crack.

"I… don't know how to say this, but… I think I… was reborn into your body. I think that's the best explanation." He said.

"Reborn? I don't understand." I said.

"I don't either… I'm not even sure how I got here. But… It appears I'm trapped in your Underworld." He said to me.

"Underworld?" I looked around.

"The subconsciousness of a person. When it's cracked up like this, that means a Phantom is wreaking havoc inside." Saito said.

"… So that's what they mean when they say to give birth to a Phantom…" I muttered. I usually stopped the Phantoms before something like I went through happened to another person.

"And… the fact that I'm like this as well…" He showed me his body. "It means I'm a Gate."

"Gate… I assume people with Underworlds?" I asked him. I then remembered the skeletal man and what he said regarding Gates.

"Exactly. And… I think whatever Phantom I have inside me is about to burst at any moment… And if it does… it'll wreak havoc on _this_ Underworld too…" He said.

"Hold on! There has to be something for me to use to fix this, right!?" I asked him.

"Don't! All I need to do is hold onto my hope… Then I'll be better… But… there's only one way I can do that… Something only _you_ can do."

"I can't right now… I need to find Sanzo and get revenge for my father… _That_ will be _my_ hope." I noticed the cracks on my arm receded. "Please… Hang on as long as you can…" I tried to walk away, only for him to speak up.

"No! Wait! I need you to help me! I need to find someone too!" He said.

"Rest. Conserve your energy. I'll see if Sanzo can cure you of your condition, maybe even separate you from my body." I continued to walk away.

"PLEASE! You have to find her! You have to find-"

* * *

My eyes slowly opened as I felt the rocking of a carriage and heard the soft crying of Sophia.

"Wilhelm… You're alive!" I noticed Sophia held onto me and cried into my shoulder

"What… happened?" I asked. I noticed I was inside the Ascart carriage again.

"You passed out in the wreckage." A servant said to me with a heavy frown. "You were collapsed on top of your father's body. … On behalf of the Prime Minister, I'm sorry for your loss.". I shook, then hugged Sophia and cried into her chest. All while I remembered the desire to get revenge on the Phantom that murdered my father…

* * *

"You wanted to see me, father?" Nicol approached his father in his home office.

"Yes… I'm afraid there's been terrible news… A masked magician that uses rings had set fire to the Yates household." As his father said that, Nicol's eyes widened.

"Is Wilhelm okay!?" Nicol asked.

"I sent for a coach to check. They'll be back with the news soon enough. In any case..." He went towards his desk and took out a key. "I think… _Now_ would be a good time."

"A good time for what?" Nicol asked.

"I was friends with Fredrick von Schwartz. He was one of the only nobles who didn't view Sophia as a cursed child." He said.

"I remember, father. He used to shower me and Sophia with gifts." Nicol said as he noticed his father getting out a chest.

"However, there was a gift that he told me to only give you when the time was right… It was the last gift he gave to the Ascarts before he passed." Nicol saw the chest. It was made entirely from an old kind of stone. Despite the cracks and moss on it, the chest looked sturdy enough that breaking it open would seem difficult. His father used a golden key to open up the chest. "Hmm… There's a note here… For _you_ …" He took out the note, then handed it to Nicol. Nicol read the note as his father got the contents from the chest out.

" _Dearest Nicol,_

_By the time you read this, I'll be long gone and your close friend may very well be my grandchild, Wilhelm Yates. There is so much I need to tell you… There is a secret world not known to nobles and commoners, one that views us as nothing more than pots to plant their seeds of despair in._

_These monsters prey upon us and recruit more of their kind by causing monsters to erupt from people's bodies, killing them in the process. My grandson has one of these inside him, ready to erupt from his body at any moment like a fungal parasite._

_Long ago, I wrote a thesis that proved it was possible to grant magic to commoners… But I had scrapped most of it, as the process would involve putting them through the same sort of pain my grandson might be going through right now. He is able to use magic, but I fear that one day, the pain will be too much and he will die._

_After I sign this letter and hand my final gift to your father, I will attempt to save my grandson from this pain… Seeing as you're reading this… I have failed and it falls onto_ you _now. Inside the chest, you will find the means to save Wilhelm should the pain be too much for him… Though, in the process,_ you'll _take his place. I wish I could explain more, but time runs short… You'll know more of the path of pain if you decide to wear the belt…_

_I pray it does not come to that, though…_

_Sincerely,_

_Fredrick von Schwartz…"_

Nicol then eyed the contents of the chest that his father laid out for him. The first was a golden ring with two large emeralds that looked like eyes and a small ruby gem on the forehead, making it stand out like a face. The second, and the most obvious to Nicol, was a belt buckle with a large, silver cage at the center.


	2. Stage 1.5: Emergency Meeting #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first emergency meeting regarding Wilhelm Yates has been declared by Chairman Catarina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to add these .5 chapters (exclusively to AO3's version of this story) since it'd be fun to explore how Catarina's reacting to all this.

**Chairman Catarina:** It would appear that a new person has entered our life. As far as we know, we have no information on this Wilhelm Yates person.

 **Spineless Catarina:** Not to mention that he’s engaged to Sophia… Wasn’t she meant to be the rival in Nicol’s route?

 **Fearless Catarina:** He wouldn’t be a bother to us anyways. Remember, Nicol’s route is one of the only two that Catarina doesn’t play a large role in.

 **Spineless Catarina:** But… Now Nicol has no love rival… Wouldn’t that mean it would default to Catarina?

 **Studious Catarina:** We can’t exactly determine Nicol’s route now that Sophia’s out of the picture. Remember, we’re working on limited information as it is.

 **Happy Catarina:** Even then, Nicol’s love for Sophia was the obstacle, right?

{The five girls then take a moment of silence}

 **Happy Catarina:** Oooooh, _that’s_ what he meant by someone he shouldn’t love.

 **Studious Catarina:** You just got that now!? 

**Spineless Catarina:** We should be more worried about Geordo and Keith. _They’re_ the ones whose routes involve Catarina.

 **Chairman Catarina:** {bangs gavel} That isn’t the topic here. What do we do about Wilhelm?

 **Happy Catarina:** He likes Sophia, right? That wouldn’t be a problem then.

 **Studious Catarina:** We don’t know the extent of their relationship. Remember, most of the couples in Fortune Lover were arranged.

 **Fearless Catarina:** We should check up on them, then. See how they are. Once we get a better idea of Wilhelm’s character, we can decide on a strategy to him if need be.

 **Chairman Catarina:** Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, we will go and check Wilhelm out.

 **All Catarinas:** Yay!


	3. Stage 2: PLEASE! Find Sanzo!

_There was a nice breeze that swept past the Ascart estate. Sophia noticed the woman who arrived at the manor and marveled at seeing another person with white hair and pale skin. All her life, she thought she was the only one with these features and felt as though she was cursed._

_"Ah, Selene, I was told you would be bringing your family to the cityside. To what may I owe the pleasure?" Her father asked the woman who simply smiled and stepped to the side. Sophia could see a teenager around her age with dirty blonde hair and dull blue eyes. A frown was practically plastered on his face and he didn't seem to budge._

_"If I may, Mr. Ascart, I wish to betroth my son to your daughter." The woman said. As her father began to negotiate what was otherwise a done deal, Sophia was unsure how to react. On one hand, her life was being bartered and she would end up with a person she hadn't met… On the other, she had thought that the only person in her life who would care about her would be Nicol and that changed when she met Catarina and her friends. Perhaps… He would be another friend as well._

_"Hello. My name is Sophia." Sophia bowed, though there was a slight wince at the end of her sentence. There was a kneejerk reaction she felt whenever she would meet someone new. A fear that they would reject her for her appearance. She had only hoped that his mother's own looks would help ease his impressions of her._

_"… My name is Wilhelm…" His voice lacked any life… No… It lacked_ hope _. As though it was drained of all energy and in its place was apathy. Sophia, deciding to take a page from Catarina's book, went over and held him by his hand._

 _"I look forward to our lives together. Not just as lovers, but as friends too." She suddenly saw light fill Wilhelm's eyes. She could feel his skin… Even though it_ looked _fine, it felt like fragile paper… Wilhelm and Sophia gazed into each other's eyes…_

_"I… I look forward to it too, my lady." And as Wilhelm knelt and kissed her on the hand, the rest was history…_

* * *

Sophia laid restless in bed as she remembered the first time that she met Wilhelm. It'd be three years ago by now. During that time, he had a habit of running off on his own and not telling people where he was going. It didn't seem like a huge problem at first and he would often be back before long, but after he prematurely left her best friend's birthday party and only came back just as it was over, she began to feel concern.

"There's some troubling news from Wachterin Village." She overheard one of the servants talking to her father. This gained her attention, since that was the village Wilhelm lives in.

"Hmm? Is everything alright there?" Her father asked.

"There seems to be talk of a ringed magician attacking the village and he had set a house on fire." She said.

"I see… Keep me posted on the situation… Check to see if Sophia's fiancé is okay, and bring Nicol over to my room." As he said that, Sophia got out of bed, put on a coat, and waited for her father to leave the room. She then ran out and got the servant's attention.

"Wait! Take me with you!" Sophia said to the servant.

* * *

It took them an hour to get there, but they soon arrived at Wachterin Village. As the carriage pulled into the town, several villagers that were gathered around the smoldered remains of a house backed away. Sophia looked outside and noticed Wilhelm passed out over his father, a pool of blood lying beneath them. Blood turning cold, she ran out and called for Wilhelm's name.

The servant quickly came after, then, after she placed her finger just a few inches beneath Wilhelm's nostrils, was able to confirm that he was alive. She looked over to Wilhelm's father and could tell just from his pale skin and lifeless eyes that there was no need to check. Sophia's cries echoed through the night as they took Wilhelm in, who soon woke up and was informed of his father's death…

* * *

As the carriage pulled in, my tears have long since dried out, though, I had no energy to move. My body slumped over Sophia's shoulder before the servant picked me up and carried me like a child. Immediately, the door swung open as I saw Nicol rush out.

"Sophia! Where were you?" He then saw me as Sophia began to cry.

"Nicol… Wilhelm's father's…" Nicol was able to figure out what she was trying to say. I could see, for the first time, that devil's smile of his had cracked. It simply… faded.

"… I see." As Nicol said that, I was brought into the estate. There was no doubt in my head. Until the first day at the magic academy, I will be staying in that estate and living with the Ascarts.

… Probably the silver lining in this crappy night I had.

* * *

**My Next Life As A Wizard**

**Stage 2: PLEASE! Find Sanzo!**

* * *

I woke up again at the Underworld. There, Saito waited. The cracks on his body lessened, which was a good sign.

"… Have you reconsidered helping me?" Saito asked.

"No. But… You said you wanted to find someone, right? How that would be your hope?" I asked back.

"Yeah…" Saito replied.

"… I'm also looking for someone who may be my hope. I'm sorry for leaving you like that, but… I was angry at the Phantoms. My father was the only family I had left. My grandfather died and my mother left shortly after." I said.

"I'm… on that same boat. I shouldn't have demanded you to help me like that…" Saito frowned as a few cracks grew.

"No. _I_ am sorry. I let my anger get the better of me. Perhaps we can compromise. You help me find Sanzo, I'll help you find whoever _you_ need. And if you help me kill the Phantom who murdered my father, I will owe you a life debt. That is my word as a both a member of the von Schwartz and Yates families." I bowed before Saito, who simply nodded.

"Yeah… That's only fair. I have no idea where they are to begin with." He muttered the last sentence before speaking up. "Sanzo's a familiar name, though."

"I don't suppose you have an idea of where he could be?" I asked him.

"No, _but_ I might know someone who could." Saito said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Sophia." As he said that, I raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know her?" The way he said her name didn't seem like he simply _just_ gleam it from looking through my memories.

"It's… complicated. But, long story short, I know her. She's shy and timid, and thus locks herself up in her house, where she has a huge collection of books." This was a disturbing lot of insight into Sophia.

"So, you propose she would have read up on Sanzo?" I asked him.

"It's a long shot, but managed to be close to her, so it might be your best bet." Saito said.

"Very well. Let's see if your hypothesis is correct." I said to him. There was a bright flash of light…

* * *

As I woke up in a nice, comfy bed. There, Sophia laid down, just a couple of inches away from me. She looked at me with her beautiful eyes and smile. Immediately, I blushed and got out of bed.

"M-morning, Lady Ascart!" I said

"Morning, Wilhelm." Sophia got up. "I'm sorry about that… We didn't have the guest room ready and you were already asleep."

"I-it's fine." Before I could speak anymore, Sophia held me, her chest pressed up against my back.

"I'm sorry about your father, Wilhelm." She said.

"…" I held her hand and nodded. "He was a brave man… Braver than I could ever hope to be." I then turned to face Sophia. "There's something he told me before he died, though… He wanted me to find a person named Sanzo. Do… you have any idea of who he is?" I asked her.

"Sanzo? The name's familiar… Maybe it's at the library." As Sophia said that, a servant entered the room.

"Miss Sophia, Catarina has arrived." She said.

" _CATARINA!?_ " I heard Saito's voice and I closed my eyes.

* * *

As I opened them, I was back in the Underworld.

"You know her too, don't you?" I asked Saito. For once, he was not sitting on the ground and instead standing before me.

"Yeah, I do." Saito said.

"Enough to call her a bitch, it seems." I mused, recalling what was said last night.

"… Yes. I need to warn you: Catarina Claes is a horrible person. I don't know what she's doing here, but I don't think it's for a good reason." Saito said.

"That's odd. Sophia told me nothing but good things about her. They've supposedly been friends since childhood. You sure you're not mistaking her for someone else?" I asked.

"She… what? I… I don't understand." He began to pace around the broken landscape, the fractures slowly making tiny ones at his every footstep before he snapped around. "Look! I don't know _what_ her plan is, but believe me when I say she's up to no good!"

"I dunno. She's kind of a scatter brain from the little I've seen of her." I chuckled.

"Whatever you do, don't let her wrap you around her finger… She already has her fiancé and brother in her grasps, I hate to see her yank _your_ chain as well." Saito said. I opened my eyes back up.

* * *

Sophia was already gone, presumably to see Catarina. I went out as well, changing into my usual clothes before greeting her.

"Hello." I waved to Catarina.

"Ah, Wilhelm, is it? Sophia told me about what happened last night…" She gave a frown. "I'm sorry for your loss."

" _She's faking it._ " Saito said.

"I'd say it's okay, but the pain is still there. Was that why you're here?" I asked her.

"W-well, no… I just found out about it now… I came to apologize for the little freak out I had last night, when we were dancing. It completely flew over my head that you were engaged to Sophia." Catarina said. I sighed. Any change from that uncomfortable topic is a good change.

"That's quite alright. If anything, I apologize for not seeing you sooner. It's kinda embarrassing to know that I _just_ met Sophia's childhood friend." I chuckled.

"Ah, well, sometimes I feel like time flies by, you know?" We both shared awkward chuckles as I began to blush.

" _What are you doing? Did you_ not _hear what I said about her?_ " Saito asked me.

" _Well, if she_ was _a bully like you said, Sophia would have been easy pickings for her. Her appearance has made her vulnerable prey for nobles, after all._ " I thought.

" _She isn't even supposed to_ know _Sophia! The fact that she's here right now is very concerning…_ " Saito said.

" _I'll play it by ear…"_ I thought.

"It's rather good timing on your part. Wilhelm and I were just about to do some research on someone by the name of Sanzo. Does that ring any bells?" Sophia asked.

"Sanzo? Wait… I _do_ remember…" Catarina began to space out. It was this same sort of spacing out that I saw her do last night when she met me for the first time. The spacing out lasted for a few moments before she snapped back to reality. "He was this wise monk who went on a pilgrimage. Why do you want to know about him?" Catarina asked.

" _… Saito?_ " I asked him.

" _Do you_ really _want to trust her?_ " Saito replied.

" _She's our only lead right now. Sorry, but I need to do this._ " I took a deep breath and spoke up. "My father might have known him. He told me to find him in his dying breath. If you can help us find him, that'll be most appreciated, Lady Claes." I bowed to her.

"L-lady Claes?" Catarina blushed.

"He prefers to refer people by their last name. Even me" Sophia gave a rather disappointed smile.

"I'm… not sure about finding him… But I do know of his tale." Catarina began to hesitate. However, the pauses seemed more like she was wracking her brain for information rather than coming up with an elaborate lie. "He went on this pilgrimage and he brought with him three disciples who protected him from demons who wanted to feast on his flesh." I presume my father was one of those disciples and that these demons were in fact Phantoms. That could explain how my father knows of them and knows how Sanzo could help fight them.

"Sounds like quite the journey." I said.

"Yeah. Though, that's all I know of him. Finding him is a whole different ballgame." Catarina said.

"He's a monk, right? Then perhaps he might reside at a place of worship?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah! That works!" I said.

"Now that I think about it, I did read up on a temple that dealt in exotic religions beforehand… I might just know where he is." Sophia said.

"Great! Thanks, you two!" I beamed.

"I'll have a carriage bring us over." Sophia said.

"Wait, _us_?" I asked.

"I'm coming too. After what happened last night, I don't feel safe having you go by yourself." As Sophia said that, Catarina had the biggest smile on her face.

"I'll go as well! This might be an interesting trip." Catarina said.

"Y-you two don't need to…" I blushed and shook my head.

"We insist." Sophia rarely gave a glare, but when she does, the red eyes pronounced just how serious she could be. It almost made me believe in the superstition that she was cursed.

"Alright." I said. We soon got a little better dressed and arranged for a carriage to take us to our destination.

* * *

Smoke bellowed beneath the cold floor of a desolated dungeon. There, the knight that killed Lichtbert Yates stepped forward and bowed before Garuda and Sprite.

"I regret to inform you two that Jabberwock had died, but it was not in vain. I have brought the Ringed Magician to his despair and soon, his Phantom shall join our brethren." She said.

"Hmph. Finally, we're rid of that nuisance." Garuda chuckled.

"I'd say it's a shame, but that would be lying." Sprite added.

"How funny of you to assume that the Ringed Magician _has_ a Phantom, Mermaid." The knight turned to see a man with frazzled black hair wearing nothing but a white shirt and white pants. He cared not for his bare feet stepping on solid, jagged rock. Garuda and Sprite backed away as they saw the man's sunken eyes. Though, in contrast to his appearance, there was a myna bird perched on his shoulder. "If he is the same Magician that I had seen… Then he _has_ no Phantom." His voice was just as creepy, a slow, monotonous noise.

"What do you mean, Legion?" Garuda asked. The man smirked as his body melted away, revealing the form of a skeletal fishman. The myna bird flew off his shoulder, then flew about until it landed on a halberd that Legion held out.

"I had entered this Magician's Underworld three years ago. The only thing I found worth of interest is a Gate." Legion said.

"A Gate… inside his Underworld?" Sprite asked.

"Yes… Oh, how I want to explore that Gate's beautiful Underworld… However, as I did… I couldn't penetrate his body. It was as though his Inner Phantom is protecting him from me… Ooooh… How that makes him all the more **_exciting…_** " Legion said.

"So, Jabberwock died for nothing?" Garuda asked.

"Not. Nothing." The Phantoms turned to see a bed shrouded with sheer curtains. Behind them was the silhouette of a monster sitting up on the bed. Surrounding the bed were dozens of black down feathers. "Keep pushing the Ringed Magician to his limits and the fruits of our labour will show eventually."

"I've driven him to despair, have I not? His Phantom should be born by now!" Mermaid protested.

"I think I get it…" Garuda scoffed. "As much as I hate it, we _need_ the Ringed Magician alive so we can get the Inner Phantom within that Gate. If it's able to resist Legion's powers, it _must_ be powerful."

"You catch on well, Garuda. For that, I shall let _you_ pick the next Phantom…" The monster said.

"Very well… No… I request _two_ for this job, Kaiser. It was the work of two Phantoms that brought this Ringed Magician to his despair, it shall take two more to break him." Garuda said.

"Despair!" The myna bird chirped.

"… You are on thin ice as it is, Garuda. Your failures to produce a Phantom in the past few months has had me displeased. But… I shall allow your request this one time… To who do you wish to serve you?" Kaiser asked.

"Bring me Jormungandr and Hekatonkheire." Garuda said. Kaiser waved a clawed hand as the down feathers began to be picked up in a gust of wind, then flew around into human-sized tornados. They spun towards Garuda before stopping. Silhouettes of two humans were seen in the tornados before the feathers lost that gust of wind and simply dropped.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of being summoned, Kaiser?" One of them, a tanned man wearing a suit of armor with a sword sheathed on his back asked.

"Do you know of the Ringed Magician? Find him and bring his Phantom out." Kaiser commanded.

"It shall be done…" The other human, one with a braided beard and a bald head, said.

* * *

The carriage pulled us to our destination. It was a good thing that there was at least one or two free days before school began proper. Saito had said nothing since we departed, though considering how I was currently engaged in a conversation with someone he warned me not to interact with, I wasn't surprised.

"So, he proposed to you right as you were wearing that?" I asked Catarina. She was in the middle of a story from her childhood, one which involved Geordo's proposal to her when they were children, right as she was in the middle of wearing a farmer's outfit.

"Y-yeah. In front of everyone, no less!" Catarina proved herself to be contrary to Saito's warnings with her quirky nature. I felt no sense to keep my guard up around someone who even Sophia seems relaxed to be around.

"Sounds like you really love farming. My father taught me how to do some myself. Perhaps one day we could compare notes?" I asked her.

"That'd be great!" Catarina beamed and held my hand. I gave a slight blush and chuckle before she noticed what she was doing and let go. "Anyways, I guess I should ask how _you_ two met. My memory's a little fuzzy so…"

"Well, I…" I thought back to when the proposal happened… I remembered a sense of emptiness when I first met Sophia. As though my heart and soul weren't fully 'there' in the moment. I then remembered how…

" ** _Exciting!_** " I took a deep breath. That nightmare… It was _real_. I hadn't thought about that since I last had it… but it all made sense… Assuming that the girl from my Underworld _was_ someone from my past, I… I didn't know what happened to her…

"Wilhelm was depressed about moving away from the countryside. Knowing how lonely he must feel, when I saw him for the first time, I went over and supported him. We've been together ever since." Sophia said.

"Wow, you've become very assertive, Sophia." Catarina looked at her in a bit of bemusement.

"Well, I had a good friend who taught me." Sophia smiled at Catarina. In that moment, I could tell that the two had known each other quite fondly. Probably even longer than they knew me.

As they laughed together, my mind quickly flashed to what seemed to be a brief image. In the place of Sophia and Catarina were two girls dressed in the same sort of uniform. The image looked like it was located at a school, complete with desks and chairs, albeit a little more advanced looking than the wooden tables and chairs in normal schools. The uniforms helped solidify this detail, having a unique style. White shirts with a sailor's blue trim to them and a matching blue skirt that fell down to their upper thighs.

"Hey, are you okay, Wilhelm?" Catarina asked me as I suddenly felt tears coming out of my eyes.

"H-huh?" I quickly wiped them.

"It's about your father, isn't it?" Sophia asked. I wavered a bit before nodding. "Don't worry. We'll find Sanzo."

"I… hate to ask, but why is this Sanzo person so important?" Catarina asked me.

"According to Wilhelm, that's what his father requested." Sophia said.

"Yeah. All he just was that he knew what to do…" I said.

"To… do what, exactly?" As Catarina said that, the moment where I would begin my thought process became interrupted.

"Sorry, Lady Ascart, it appears a tree has fallen down. It'll take a while to get it out of the way." The coachman said to us. I decided to get out of the carriage to see if I could do anything about it.

As I did, I checked my surroundings… Nothing but woods, with the only animal to greet us being a black bird. I steeled myself… I remembered my father giving me a lecture on bandits based on his experience in fighting them.

" _A bandit's common tactic is to interrupt a carriage in motion by any means, then ransack it of its goods. People included if they draw in the money._ _One way to do that? Cut a tree down. By the time they got the tree out of the way, it'd be too late._ "

With that in mind, I quickly walked to the fallen tree and tried to inspect it.

"Wilhelm!" Sophia ran towards me just as I noticed the deep cuts that an axe would make onto a tree…

"Stay back! This is a-" Just as I was about to say it, I heard bushes rustling.

Crap…

"That didn't take long, now did it?" I saw a man in a suit of armor, his hand trained on a sword, emerge from the bushes. Another person came out of the opposite end, behind the cart. This one was a little more muscular, bald head and braided beard.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Catarina shouted from the carriage.

"If it's money you want, we don't have it. We're just on a trip to see someone. Let us go and there won't be any trouble." I reasoned with the armored man, though at the same time, it seemed rather odd that a bandit would come in plate mail. Normally, they'd be so poor that the most they can afford is tough leather.

"We're not here for money…" The armored man said. He then nodded to his partner who ran to grab Sophia.

"Damn it…" I muttered and began to plan out the next move.

" _If you look at the world in a certain way,_ anything _can be your weapon. A knight does not die with empty hands._ " My father's words rung in my head. Immediately, I ran and snapped off a decently sized branch before holding it up as a makeshift lance.

"Let her go! Now!" I shouted.

"Hmmm? Seems she keeps you going, huh?" The way he asked me, that _didn't_ sound good. He then smirked as his partner proceeded to turn her around and hold his arm over her neck.

"Sophia!" Catarina and I both shouted. Without any hesitation, I shoved the branch right onto the plate mail. It didn't do much damage, but the kinetic force was enough to knock the man down before I reached for his sword and pulled it out. "Let her go or else!" I pointed the tip of my blade to his neck. However, the armored man just laughed.

"Go ahead… The moment you _do_ , my buddy here will snap your friend's neck like a twig." I stood firm as he said that, blade steady.

"Kill her and I'll drive this blade down your gullet!" I shouted in response.

"… Fine by me." He chuckled. Just before his partner could do anything to Sophia, though, a small patch of the earth rose up to the size of a small bump right below his feet. This caused him to lose balance and let go of Sophia, who in turn responded by holding out her hand and causing a gust of wind to blow him back just far enough for her to reasonably get back.

By this point, the coachman got a spare dagger on hand and ran to my side.

"Lord Lichtbert, return to the carriage, I'll deal with this." He said. Just then, the bald man got up and, in a rage, screamed and transformed into a Phantom. His underbelly was pale as death itself while his outer shell was a turtle green. On his chest was an open eye with a vertically-slit pupil. His head, hands, and even feet were the same: large serpent heads. He then fired a purple-colored fireball from its head at the coachman, killing him instantly as his charred corpse was knocked to the ground. Sophia let out a gasp as my eyes widened.

"Surely you must know by now what you're dealing with, Ringed Wizard." The armored man said before he took out a specially made glove with a large jewel on the backside of the glove.

"You two… You're…" I muttered and backed away.

"Yep… A little bird told us where you were." As he said that, the bird began to chirp.

"Despair!" It cried out.

"What in the goddamned…" I was at a loss for words as the man revealed a belt. It was like mine, though with two hands joined together in a prayer. With a pull of a lever, he rotated the image so that the tips of the fingers pointed upwards.

**SHAKA LAKA SHAKA LAKA CLAP TO CHANGE! SHAKA LAKA SHAKA LAKA CLAP TO CHANGE!**

"Verzweiflung..." He said as he clapped his hands together.

**CHANGE! HEKATONKHEIRE!**

His skin then cracked with the same purple veins that plagued my Underworld as a series of weapons surrounded him. With a shout, his body exploded into purple smoke as the weapons collided. In his place was a Phantom in a knight's armor, much like the one that murdered my father. However, there were distinct differences.

For one, the helmet has no slits for him to see out of. While his legs and arms were exposed, I noticed that they too were armored, though in the sense that they were made of stone. Even his underbelly was armored with a strange, bile yellow plate underneath the silver. In one hand, he held a sword and in the other, an axe. Much like his human form, his Phantom form had platemail rather than the scalemail that my father's killer had.

"W-what are these things!?" Catarina shouted as she noticed the serpent-themed Phantom go after her. I ran for her while the coachman kept Hekatonkheire busy.

I leaped into the air and delivered a jump kick onto the serpent, knocking him back a few steps. As I landed, I turned to Sophia.

"Wilhelm… What's going on? Are… you the Ringed Magician?" Sophia asked me… I sighed… The shoe was going to drop eventually.

"Wait, what's this about a ringed magician?" Catarina asked as well.

"… I'm sorry, Sophia. I've… been keeping a secret from you… From... _every_ one…" I then held a ring over my belt.

**DRIVER ON! Please~!**

Before their eyes, my belt transformed into its true form.

"Woah!" Catarina was the first to react, even trying to get a closer look.

"Now… Please… Watch my…" I then flipped the lever.

**SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO-**

"Henshin." And touched the Flame Ring to my belt.

**FLAME! PLEASE! HI… HI… HI HI HI!**

The magic circle engulfed me and adorned me in the ruby armor and black coat that I had been adjusted to for the past three years. A secret I wanted to keep for so long from Sophia had now been revealed.

"… Wilhelm…" Sophia weakly muttered. I felt her pain. The betrayal she must have felt… I kept myself from crying…

"NO WAY! WHAT THE HELL?!" Though, Catarina's sudden shock was a bit of levity… Albeit one that isn't needed now. I used another ring to summon my sword.

**CONNECT! Please~!**

I pulled out the sword from a magic portal and pointed it at Jormungandr.

"I'll be… your last despair." I said before I ran to attack him.

* * *

"Sophia went out with Wilhelm?" Nicol asked one of the servants.

"Yes, and they took Miss Catarina with them too…" She said as she was finished making Sophia's bed.

"Do you know where they went?" Nicol asked her.

"Last I heard, they were going to the St. Lunagel Church over in Mond Village. They might be over there now." As she said that, Nicol made a mad dash for the door as the servant sighed. "Always looking out for his sister… It's almost sad, really…"

* * *

Nicol went to the stables and prepared a saddle on a horse before getting on it. The horse began to whinny and jump before Nicol patted it on the head and hushed it. He took out a small map that he took from the library before he went. As the son of the prime minister, he had an ease of access to kingdom-wide maps. He tracked where to go from his house to Mond Village and once he had a mental image of the route, he grabbed the reins and jostled them slightly to get the horse to gallop out of the stable.

* * *

Fending off two Phantoms at once was always a hard task for me, but this was difficult. Jormungandr fired out purple fireballs from all five of his heads and even his eyeball on the chest. While I tried to fend off the fireballs by striking them with my sword, what didn't help was Hekatonkheire's involvement. He went in and struck me with a sword during one flurry of fireballs, then as he pinned me with a spear, he had the fireballs blast me. Sparks flied out of my ruby armor as I winced in pain.

Hekatonkheire tossed me to the side just as I got damaged and took out an axe. Just before he tried to strike me, however, the winds began to shift as they threw off his aim. The axe landed next to me as I took this to my advantage, quickly changing the sword to a gun and firing point blank. The armor didn't chip, but it was enough to knock him away from me. I then looked and noticed Sophia had gotten out of the carriage and was holding her hands out.

"Sophia! Get back inside!" It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was assisting me with her wind magic.

"I can't stand idly by and let you get hurt! Especially now!" Sophia redirected the wind towards Jormungandr just as he was about to unleash a volley of fireballs. The flames began to dither for a bit before they redirected to Jormungandr and struck him. As much as I wanted to warn her, I also knew that with one less Phantom to worry about, I could at least cripple or take out the current one giving me trouble.

"Okay! But as soon as this Phantom is killed, focus on protecting yourself and Catarina!" I immediately scanned the Copy Ring on the WizarSwordGun and changed the copy to a sword. I relentlessly fired at Hekatonkheire and made an opening for me to strike at him with the sword. As he was about to strike me with the axe, I leaped away just as it hit the ground, then used it as a platform to jump off and leap into the air.

"There's no finale for you!" I went for the Kick Strike Ring.

"You're right… because I'm not going to die!" Just as he said that, Hekatonkheire took out a trident and threw it at Sophia. I was barely able to react before I heard the pained screams of Sophia followed closely by Catarina.

"SOPHIA!" I turned to see that the trident impaled Sophia's shoulder, its left-most prong had her pinned her dress to the carriage.

"And now, you're wide open!" As I was descending onto the ground, Hekatonkheire struck me in the back with the sword, shattering the ruby armor and reducing me back to my human form.

I rolled on the ground as I could see a small pool of blood trickle onto the ground beneath where Sophia was pinned. I looked up and heard her squirm in pain as she tried to pull out the trident. I could see a few purple cracks begin to emerge on my hand as I felt my heart go…

**BA-PUMP!**

There it was again… The feeling I had when I saw my father die in front of me… The memory of that girl I made friends with flashed in my mind as the world around her began to crack with that same purple energy. Catarina rushed out of the carriage and tried to help as I noticed the two Phantoms close in.

"Do you think that is enough, Hekatonkheire?" Jormungandr asked.

"Hmm… I don't think so… The fear of losing a loved one isn't as… impactful as outright losing." Hekatonkheire took out his axe once more just as Catarina got in front of Sophia, arms splayed out.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Catarina shouted.

"Hmm… If your death will motivate the Phantom to come out, then _sure_ …" As Hekatonkheire raised his axe, I gave a scream to whatever could hear me for immediate help. That's when I noticed a cloud in the sky suddenly flying towards Hekatonkheire and striking the Phantom where he stood. As he flew back, the cloud dissipated into smoke as I saw a woman in white robes and wearing a white crown-like hat that covered her hair.

"And who are _you_?" Jormungandr asked her.

"A humble servant… Leave the children alone or suffer my wrath." She took out a long, wooden stick, roughly thick enough to serve as both a walking staff and one for combat.

"This is Phantom business, lady!" Jormungandr fired a ball from his mouth towards her, only for her to spin the stick to make a circle and cause the flames to fan out into nothingness.

"I see that you demons have chosen a new name for your kin… Matters not." The monk thrusted the staff out as I could have sworn it extended, poking Jormungandr in its chest-eye and putting it out. As Hekatonkheire got up and prepared to attack, the monk turned her focus to him and swung the staff around, seemingly having enough mass to knock a fully armored Phantom down for the count. She turned her attention back to Jormungandr who was just about to fire a rain of fireballs from his mouths.

I struggled to get up, only for her to hold her hand up at me.

"Patience, boy… Everything will be alright." She closed her eyes as her form changed back into a cloud. This time, Sophia, Catarina, and I, along with the carriage, were lifted off from the ground and into the sky just as the fireballs were about to blast us. We soon flew far from the area of battle, far from the Phantoms.

Without the Phantoms to make the problem worse for us, I took the time to help Catarina carefully remove the trident from Sophia's arm. Just as she wailed in pain, I held her tightly, making sure to hold the wound with my hand.

"I'm sorry, Sophia…" I cried alongside her, praying that she will get some help in time. Catarina just stood on the cloud, stunned into silence at everything that happened.

Who could blame her? Three years ago, I wouldn't have believed that demonic monsters live in our world and take the guise of humans. I had hoped to keep this war a secret from everyone… but I couldn't even keep it from my fiancée and her childhood friend…

As I cried, I remembered the two girls in that room. The ones in those strange uniforms. That's when I could hear Saito crying… I closed my eyes as I remembered something else…

" _Hey, Saito,"_ I remembered one of the girls, someone with long, light brown hair, looking towards me, " _have you studied for the exam?_ " Sure enough, this was one of _his_ memories… I focused on Saito and traveled to the Underworld.

* * *

"Yes, Sasaki… I have…" I heard Saito murmur it out as I saw him sulking on his knees. I went over to help him up.

"Your friends, I presume…" I asked him as he wiped some of his tears.

"Yeah… S-sorry if you had to see my thoughts…" He said. I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. They're _our_ thoughts, now." I said.

"I guess, seeing Sophia and Catarina be good friends reminded me of them." As Saito's eyes watered, I helped dry them. I remembered the sadness I felt when remembering Fortune Lover… And how, all this time, it was Saito's sadness… Then I remembered what he said then.

"… Yesterday, you were asking me to find someone. The fact that you're distraught about them…" Saito nodded.

"Yeah… I… I don't want to give you a long story but… I… I lost my friends." The Underworld briefly changed. We were now in the room with the two girls, frozen in motion. He looked at a the one with short, messy dark brown hair, who sat at a desk.

"Sawatari… We normally call her the 'monkey girl'… She was the first to go. Got hit by a truck…" As Saito said that, purple cracks broke her face apart. He then looked to the girl with long hair, who stood over Sawatari's desk. "Then, about a year or two later, Sasaki died as well… She…" As he struggled to find the words, her entire body was engulfed by the cracks and the surrounding cracks shattered and made a hole, causing him to back away and give an anguished cry.

"She… died to a Phantom!?" I could feel a cold presence as I saw Saito slowly nod.

"I… I would have despaired too had it not been for a man… He saved my life and… he said that I was able to find them…" The memory of the man offering his hand to Saito came back to my head. Upon a second look at him, I noticed he was holding something the size of his palm in his hand. "They're… I'm just going to say it. They're _here_. In this world! They're who I have to find!"

"But… you said that they died… So… How could…" Suddenly, the vision began to fade…

" _Wilhelm! Wilhelm!"_ Catarina's voice called out to me.

* * *

I opened up my eyes as I saw the cloud landing on the ground near an old temple, the size of which averaged to about a small house. It was not too far from a village, as I saw some villagers come to see the cloud land.

The cloud changed back into the monk before she turned to see Sophia. She was barely conscious and breathing shallowly before the monk held her hand over to the wound on Sophia's shoulder. A light shined from her hand that engulfed the wound and, when it faded, the wound was gone, as though it was never there. Sophia breathed a little more gently, as though she was now sleeping.

"That… That was light magic!" I said. Catarina's eyes widened as she noticed the wound disappear. The monk nodded.

"Indeed. Very few people are born with this gift that I'm surprised you know of it." She said.

"… That's… because I knew one. Um, someone born with light magic, I mean." I said. The monk smiled for a bit before she looked to the crowd that was forming.

"Give these nobles some breathing room, please." She said. The villagers nodded and backed away. She took Sophia from my arms and carried her over her shoulder before nudging us to head into the temple. "I apologize for the sudden appearance. I sensed that there was danger not too far from Mond Village and I had to intervene." She said as we followed her.

"Don't be! You saved our butts back there!" Catarina exclaimed.

"Yeah, that was amazing back there! How did you do all that? Like, being a cloud and all that?" I asked her. As we entered the temple, I saw a statue of a man in a toga sitting down in a meditative state sitting on a stone pedestal at the end of the hall.

"Oh, that? It's a special technique, one that can't be learned like magic. May I ask who you are?" She asked.

"R-right. My name is Wilhelm Yates and this is Catarina Claes." I held my hands towards her. "We came in search of sage named Sanzo. Do you know where he is?" I asked her.

"Sanzo? It's… been a while since I was called that." She gave a frown before she turned to me.

"Wait, _you're_ Sanzo?" I asked her.

"Yes, though, only a few people know that name. Most refer to me as Tang Sanzang or, as a title, Tripiṭaka. "You said you're from the Yates family. May I presume that your father is Lichtbert Yates?" She asked me.

"Yes. He was the one who told me to find you. He… was killed by a Phantom." I said to her. Catarina held a hand to her mouth as her jaw dropped.

"And from what I've seen, those Phantoms are targeting you. If your father wanted you to find me, that must mean it's time." She said.

"Time for what?" I asked her as I saw her hold up her hand. I saw a ring on her finger. It was unique to my magic rings in that it was a diamond cut into the image of a bird with its wings up. I saw a series of white plates levitate from the stone pedestal before they formed into a white, mechanical bird. It flew to us before landing on Sanzo's shoulder.

"For you to take the next step in fighting Phantoms." She said.

* * *

Nicol stopped his horse when he saw a cut down tree with a charred body next to it. Nicol got off the horse and ran over to investigate. He first looked at the corpse. Most of his body was burnt, though his face remained. Nicol slightly frowned upon seeing the face of one of the coachmen for the Ascart estate… That's when his eyes widened.

"Sophia!" He muttered before looking around. Sure enough, he found some tell tale tracks of a horse drawn carriage right before it stopped by a log. His body shook as he turned his head, trying to find any sort of tell-tale sign of what could have happened. He pulled out his map again, though as he pulled it out of his pocket, he also took out the small, silver cage that Fredrick left for him. He looked at the map and estimated that he was an hour's walk away form Mond Village. The tracks were still fresh, perhaps he can get some villagers to come help him find Sophia and the others-

" _Feed me…_ " Nicol heard a voice. He looked around to see where it came from… " _It's been so long without food…_ " He heard it coming from… _below_ him? That's when he noticed the cage. As he picked it up, the voice began to grow louder. " _I hunger…_ " No… The voice… was coming from the cage itself!

"What the… Fredrick… What did you give me?" Nicol's jaw trembled as he eyed the cage.


	4. Stage 2.5: Emergency Meeting #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second emergency meeting, this time regarding the chain of events that transpired, has been declared by Chairman Catarina.

**Spineless Catarina:** Wilhelm became a Kamen Rider!

 **Chairman Catarina:** Calm down!

 **Spineless Catarina:** And then that woman arrived as a cloud!

 **Chairman Catarina:** I said calm-

 **Spineless Catarina:** And Sophia’s hurt!

 **Chairman Catarina:** {bangs gavel} I _said_ : Calm. Down. First off, Wilhelm has shown himself to be a good person. He cared for Sophia when she was injured by that Phantom.

 **Studious Catarina:** Though, she _does_ bring up a good point. The conclusion is that we reincarnated into Fortune Lover, right? So, what are Phantoms and Kamen Riders doing here?

 **Happy Catarina:** Does it matter? We have a Kamen Rider on our side! Yay!

 **Studious Catarina:** That’s _exactly_ the problem! Kamen Rider was a show in our previous life and it had no correlation to Fortune Lover! How can these two exist in the same universe?

 **Fearless Catarina:** Maybe we underestimated what this world truly is. We just _assumed_ it was Fortune Lover, but really, it seems to be Fortune Lover with bits of Kamen Rider Wizard added to it.

 **Happy Catarina:** Yeah. Thankfully, we know a little bit about that from Azu.

{a screen behind them shows Saito Azuma in class, though the upper portion of his face is obscured}

 **Saito Azuma:** It’s about a guy named Souma Haruto who fights these monsters called Phantoms using the power of magical rings. He also has a Dragon Phantom inside him that he draws his magic from.

 **Spineless Catarina:** But he said that the guy’s name was Aruto, not Wilhelm…

{a picture appears over Saito’s face of Aruto Hiden in the middle of one of his ‘Aruto ja naito’ moments}

 **Studious Catarina:** _Ha_ ruto, not _A_ ruto!

{It is quickly replaced with a picture of Haruto Souma}

 **Chairman Catarina:** It seems we haven’t fully grasped the situation yet… Let’s hold off on the strategy in handling Wilhelm for the time being while we investigate on this matter.

 **The Four Catarinas:** Yeah!


End file.
